Twyford Playgroup

The SENCo will liaise with you and any outside agencies involved and the key person in order to monitor your child’s progress. IEP’s (plans to support the child’s needs) or behaviour plans are drawn up in consultation with all who are involved with your child. * Policies are available on the Playgroup website or hard copies are provided. * An information leaflet about Twyford Playgroup is given to you along with a registration form on which can be recorded information to assist transition from home to playgroup. * Support is tailored to fit the individual needs of your child. * Questionnaires are sent out annually to monitor the effectiveness of the service we provide. * The assigned key person will work with your child and implement the next steps to support their development. * The SENCO, Manager and Key person are available to explain the educational plan for every child. * The playgroup works closely with the Services for Young Children. Area Inclusion team (INCO). Senco support meetings are regularly attended. * Outside agencies such as Portage, Behaviour Support Team, Specialist Advisory Teachers are worked with if required. * Each child has a learning journal compiled by their key person and this gives a written and pictorial record of your child’s time at playgroup.

The playgroup uses IEP’s and behavioural plans such as antecedent, behaviour, consequence and communication plans (ABCC) and these are put in place in discussion with you and appropriate agencies. These plans will help with physical, social and emotional and cognitive development. * All Staff make regular observations and record keeping is carried out by your child's Key person and recorded in a personalized Learning Journal. * The planning for each session is 'child led', this ensures that the curriculum is built around the children's interests, with some guidance from your child's Key Person as to their individual next steps, taking into account their Characteristics of Learning. * We recognize that your child is unique, and at Twyford Playgroup we help them to explore and investigate in a rich learning environment with adult support and encouragement; ensuring safety and an extension of experiences, developing their potential. * Support is provided if your child requires adult input to ensure their own, or others safety. * Weekly Staff meetings give the opportunity to share your child's needs, and plan accordingly.

Twice yearly we offer parents evenings as an opportunity to share your child's progress * The Key Person or SENCo can be spoken to at the beginning or end of every session. * IEPs or behavioural plans are reviewed with you, Key Person and SENCo at appropriate intervals suited to your child’s individual needs. * External agencies involved with your child are able to visit the pre-school to observe or work with the child. * The pre-school uses the “Early Years Foundation Stage” to record developmental progress https://www.gov.uk/early-years- foundation-stage. * You are given information through Twyford Playgroup newsletters, Friday Notes and Notice Boards. * Home-school books can be arranged if required to share progress from playgroup to home.

The Key Person is responsible for ensuring your child is safe and secure; both emotionally and physically throughout the transition from home to pre-school and later to full time education. * We maintain an inclusive service. Both the inside and outside areas are checked before each session for safety. The children are encouraged to be involved in risk assessing. * Behaviour plans are put in place as required, Feelings cards, sand timers and visual warnings are used if needed. * Some staff are trained in first aid an Epipen administration. Specific training to meet your child’s need will be undertaken. All medication is stored in a secure appropriate place. A record book is kept of all medications held and dosage, time of administration is recorded and signed by you. * All staff are DBS checked, and regularly updated with safeguarding training. The playgroup policies include child protection and special education needs. * You may not use photographic devices unless all other parents and carers have given their consent. * No student or parent/ carer may accompany children other than their own to the toilet. All disclosure made by a child is treated in line with our child protection guidelines. * An accessibility toilet with nappy changing facilities is available. * Allergy and dietary information is posted near the snack bar with a photograph of the specific child to inform all staff. * We operate a nut free zone.

The members of staff all have a wealth of experience and have undergone training up to level 3 Early Years Child Care and Education and above. * The SENCo is level 3 Early Years Child Care and Education and has trained in Makaton (a signing method of communication, supported by spoken language) speech and language, behaviour management, Portage, Thomas Trained. * The pre-school liaises with the Area Inclusion Team, Speech and Language therapist, Specialist Advisory Teachers, Portage and Educational Psychologists in order to support our children, and any other outside agencies.

Training is undertaken to equip staff with the necessary knowledge as the need arises. * All staff have attended an introduction to Makaton, this is a language programmme designed to provide a means of communication through signs, to help children to understand and be included, this is always supported by spoken language. * The SENCo has trained in speech and language development and operates language groups. PECS has been used in the setting. * Courses behaviour management and Thomas training (autism), POPEYE training (Portage) have been completed. * All staff will work closely with you and outside agencies to learn specific skills to support children with additional needs.

>All outings undertaken by the pre-school are within our local area. We use parents and carers help as well as staff, with one adult to two children unless one to one is required. * All areas visited are wheelchair/ buggy accessible. * The pre-school has a Christmas Party, Summer Sports Morning, Summer Trip, to which all children are invited; dietary information is held and implemented as needed. * The committee organise various events to fund raise throughout the year to which all children on role, their siblings and family members are welcome.

The building is wheelchair/ buggy accessible. There is an accessibility toilet with nappy changing facilities. * Guidance from specialists would need to be sought if specialist equipment is required as the pre-school is in a community building that is also used by others. * The sessions operate with a maximum of 25 children and up to 6 staff. * Two smaller rooms can be used for small group work. * We welcome children with English as a second language and we seek support from the Ethnic Minorities and Travellers Achievement Service (EMTAS) as required http://www.hants.gov.uk/education/ema.htm who help with translation of information for parents. We provide: books, posters and culturally appropriate items whenever possible.

In consultation with yourself and other agencies involved with your child we will ensure that the appropriate equipment and care will be in place to make entry into the pre-school as smooth as possible. * Taster sessions can be arranged when you and your child can visit the pre-school to familiarize yourselves, with the room and staff prior to attending. * For transition Teachers from the receiving school visit the pre- school to meet the children. * Visits are arranged during the summer term, for the children to go with staff or parents to see their feeder schools. * Review meetings will be held regularly during your child’s time at playgroup, with the Key Person, SENCo, yourselves and all other professionals involved in your child’s care. From these, decisions can be made to support children’s transition to specialist schools if required. * For children requiring extra support their local main stream school an Inclusion Partnership Agreement (IPA) is set up in collaboration with the playgroup, the feeder school and you to ensure the transition is as smooth as possible. * Information is shared with the feeder school that is relevant to the transition. Your child’s portfolio may be shared. * Before your child starts at playgroup, you are asked about your child’s interests so that the curriculum can be tailored to ease transition from home to playgroup.

All children receive up to 570 hours per funded year of free early years education the term following their third birthday: * The playgroup can include children who are in receipt of 2 year old funding, which is accessible to families on low incomes. * Additional funding can be claimed for children with special educational needs (SEN). A child receiving additional funding for special educational needs will have access to all facilities provided by the playgroup. The funding is allocated to enable the child to achieve their full potential, possibly one to one support, specialist equipment and appropriate toys to aid development or the creation of pictorial support aids. This is decided upon through consultation with all who are involved with the child at a “team around the child” (TAC) meeting.

If your child has already had a diagnosis then a TAC meeting could be arranged before he or she starts at playgroup. Decisions are made through consultation with all parties involved with the child’s care; this includes yourself, specialists, as well as the pre- schools SENCo and Key staff. * If your child has no diagnosis but you have expressed concerns or the Key Person has identified a problem at the 2 year check (which is carried out during the child’s first term) or at any other time, then a meeting will be held with you to explore ways of supporting your child. * Observations and behaviour records (ABCC) are carried out and shared with you on a regular basis. * The amount of support is dependent upon your child’s needs and is decided through consultation between the manager, parents, carers and the committee. * The SENCo draws up an Individual Education Plan (IEP) in collaboration with yourself and the Key Person; this is reviewed each half term. At the review the impact of the support will be assessed and moderated as appropriate. * Monitoring of progress is carried out regularly and recorded; to ensure that the curriculum is ensuring progress in all seven areas of the Early Years Foundation Stage. Communication and Language progress is in line with the Hampshire County Council “Every Child Talker” (ECAT) resources http://www.talk4meaning.co.uk

The playgroup is owned by committee members of which are nominated and seconded on a yearly basis at the Annual General Meeting, which is open to all. We are always pleased to welcome new members to join and contribute to the running of the pre- school. * You are encouraged to share any specialist ability or interests with the pre-school such as nursing, playing a musical instrument or cooking skills which could benefit your children in the pre-school. * Stay and play sessions are held regularly where you can stay for an hour of a session and see first-hand the daily running of the group. Questionnaires are distributed to all parents and carers once a year, giving you the opportunity to evaluate and comment on our pre-schools performance.